I never thought this would be a thing for podcasters: The YouTube podcast platform. But now, you can upload your video podcast to the YouTube podcast platform and designate it as a podcast, which should help YouTube serve it to people looking for podcasts.
To publish podcasts on the YouTube podcast platform makes sense and is a content distribution strategy worth considering – especially if you already have a video version of your podcast. So let’s dive into that topic in this article and discuss:
- What are podcasts on YouTube?
- Why they do make sense.
- Where do podcasts on YouTube show up?
- How to distribute your podcast on YouTube.
- Is livestreaming a podcast to YouTube a good idea?
- Uploading your video podcast to YouTube
- YouTube Podcast Analytics
- Should my podcast get its own YouTube channel?
What are podcasts on YouTube?
At the most basic level, a YouTube podcast is a video version of a podcast that is uploaded to YouTube. Here’s an example from one of my episodes.
Unlike the traditional podcast version, the most significant difference is that it’s with video.
I say traditional because even Spotify now publishes video podcasts, so there’s a real advantage to having a video version of episodes either way. I wouldn’t be surprised if more podcast channels add video capabilities at some point.
Even the definition of what a video podcast is can be debated. For example, you could create a video file with one static image and run the audio under that image. I prefer to have the moving video of the conversation, however.
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Why the YouTube podcast platform does make sense
Platforms evolve and sometimes add new content formats. Podcasts can make sense. Facebook tried integrating podcasts for a bit, though it has stopped that functionality. In reality, most podcasts can also be published as a video podcast version. Seeing the conversation and the facial expressions of the host and guest can add authenticity. And, if nothing else, publishing a podcast on YouTube is another channel to distribute your show.
Read next: Should I publish my podcast on television?
Where do podcasts show up on YouTube?
As the Marketing O’Clock podcast experts reported, there’s now a specific landing page for podcasts on YouTube at youtube.com/podcasts. I watch/listen to “The PatMcAfee Show” a few times a week, but I wasn’t familiar with any other shows on the page.
In addition, podcast videos would appear in search and recommended content like any other YouTube video, so make sure you follow best practices for your videos.
As of late April 2023, podcasts also show up in YouTube Music. Here’s how that looks and a link to my podcast on YouTube Music.
How to distribute your YouTube podcast
There are two ways:
- Livestream it to YouTube – like through a multistream recording.
- Upload your recording to YouTube without a live stream – here, you can also consider editing it.
I would also try to use the same headline and description as the podcast episode is using on other channels. Consider making it clear in the description that this is a podcast to make it easier for YouTube to identify that your video is part of a show. For example, I often say:
So-and-so joins me on this episode of The Business Storytelling Podcast to discuss the topic…
Then upload the episodes to other podcast networks, and also embed the YouTube video playlist to your website.
Should I even livestream my YouTube podcast?
YouTube strategy consultant Zach Mitchem answers that with a definite “no.”
He said on my podcast that YouTube handles livestreams differently from uploaded videos, and the livestreams also take away your chance to add a teaser.
Zach suggests taking a soundbite from later in the episode and putting it ahead of the entire show – like this.
He said that would encourage viewers to wait for that quote while watching or listening to the show.
Uploading your video podcast to YouTube
Log in and head over to the YouTube Studio. Then go to playlists, and designate a specific playlist a podcast. You can change this later as well.
Once you set it, YouTube makes you fill out some fields to provide more information about the show and you’ll have to upload a cover image, which has the same dimensions as it has on traditional podcast channels.
From there, make sure new episodes are added to that playlist.
YouTube Podcast Analytics are live
Once you have created your podcast playlist, you can view metrics for your YouTube podcast. Go to the playlist area of YouTube Studio, and click on the metrics icon near the podcast playlist. That will bring you to this screen with recent analytics.
Should my podcast get its own YouTube channel?
That depends on where you are in your YouTube content strategy. For example, if you are creating a podcast for a company that has a YouTube channel, it likely makes sense to add the podcast to that channel and create a playlist.
If you currently have no presence on YouTube but want to add your podcast to more networks, creating an entirely new channel just for the podcast and with the podcast as the name could make sense.
In summary, getting your podcast onto YouTube through a livestream or an upload makes sense to me, and I would recommend it. Especially now that you can set a playlist as a podcast.
